Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

If Zuo Qiuchi really had ulterior motives for staying by his side, Chu Mingkong was quite happy. At least he knew what she wanted, and he would try his best to meet her requirements. Otherwise, he would feel uneasy being helped like this all the time.

"Want to talk?" Chu Mingkong nudged her lightly with his elbow.

A cool breeze blew through the night, chilling the skin. Under this slight chill, the body temperature hidden by clothing seemed to become clearer.

"Tonight was an accident. We couldn't neutralize the effects of the Acacia Dew this way. If we followed Feng Ying's advice and used a steam bath to neutralize the effects, we would have to soak for at least half a month. Moreover, the imbalance of Yin and Yang in our bodies caused by the Acacia Dew would only get worse if it wasn't resolved in a short time. Eventually, Feng Ying and I, with our paralyzed spiritual meridians, would be unable to suppress it any longer. Therefore, we had no choice but to neutralize the Acacia Dew this way."

Chu Mingkong can attest that what she said is true. Don't be fooled by how relaxed and cheerful the three of them seemed at the time; when things got out of control, they really went all out. Oral administration is the best way to mitigate the damage; that's how unreasonable second-tier drugs are.

Even though Fengying was tricked by that bottle of "wine," he still wanted to confiscate it and study it afterward.

“Master, I understand what you’re saying, but these kinds of words are usually said by heartless men who have ruined virtuous women and don’t want to take responsibility. They always say ‘there’s no other way’... Why do you stay by my side? Master, you don’t lack money and you don’t seem to crave any treasures.”

Our teacher-student relationship isn't as deep as you might imagine, but it's still quite strong. He's had many female teachers, but she's the only one who's been so willing to make steamed buns for him.

Zuo Qiuchi looked at him suspiciously: "What? Now that you've figured out a way to keep Feng Ying here, even giving her the room, you're thinking of settling the bill and kicking your master out?"

So, after you ran out of the room, you were eavesdropping on my conversation with Feng Ying... Chu Mingkong pretended not to think anything of it:

"That's impossible. I'm just a little uneasy, especially after tonight. I don't know what I can do for you."

"Don't take it seriously tonight. We said it was mutual assistance. If we don't use you as a catalyst, both Fengying and I will be in trouble. Let's drop this matter and don't mention it again."

Chu Mingkong pressed on, saying, "But you've protected me for so long."

"That was the kindness of your sister in giving you the sword. She said she would give you a sword as payment for teaching you swordsmanship, but she actually gave me several more precious swords, including a broken sword that still contained the insights of an ancient heavy sword saint. I benefited a lot from it, and the few techniques I taught you before cannot make up for it."

There was more to the story. Xiao Yunhan had seen Zuo Qiuchi taking his younger brother around everywhere, even going so far as to hold a formal apprenticeship ceremony at a brothel, where the ceremony was completed amidst the embraces of the girls. Xiao Yunhan couldn't stand it, so he took out several swords and gave them to Zuo Qiuchi—"These swords are all for you. Get away from my brother!"

"But you even gave me a meat bun! My mom has never been this generous to me!"

"You're still not done! I told you not to take it seriously, but you keep bringing it up! Now that you've been arrested, we're even!"

Zuo Qiuchi grabbed Chu Mingkong and pinned him down, grabbing and pulling at his chest. The noise startled nearby residents, who opened their windows and started cursing.

"Which scoundrel is it that, instead of finding a proper place to have an affair in the middle of the night, runs to the top of the clock tower to do their thing, making the bronze bell clang loudly!"

Chu Mingkong had no choice but to drag Zuo Qiuchi to another place and find an inn to rent a room. The night watchman, seeing that it was a man and a woman, said with great professionalism that there was only a single room left. Chu Mingkong gladly took the last single room and paid for two rooms.

The extra money can be used as a tip; the inn industry needs such sensible waiters.

Having just recovered from the effects of the aphrodisiac, the two were both quite tired and lay down in the same bed.

Chu Mingkong knew that he had been fooled by Zuo Qiuchi tonight. When asked, she was ignored, and Zuo Qiuchi made it sound like her kindness was nothing.

"Qiu Chi..."

"How dare you call me that? Slap yourself!" the woman said sternly.

Chu Mingkong slapped his thigh, making a dull thud, and feigned pain, saying, "Disciple knows his mistake. So, are we still in a proper master-disciple relationship?"

Zuo Qiuchi naturally knew about his perfunctory act of slapping his thigh, so he didn't say anything to him. Instead, he asked in return, "Otherwise what? Now that you know how much your teacher has sacrificed, you must show your filial piety tomorrow!"

"Of course, Master, my injury has flared up, and I'm a bit cold!"

"You've got so much trouble!"

Zuo Qiuchi was both disgusted and angry, but she still used her internal energy to hug him.

In his mind, Chu Mingkong silently confirmed Zuo Qiuchi as the binding target of the Filial Piety System. Then he suddenly realized that he seemed to have lost out this time. He used to catch Baozi without even pulling him, but this time Zuo Qiuchi pulled him. Should he ask for an explanation...?

"Master, I don't think I've ever pinched it with my fingers before, how about—rua!"

Before he could finish speaking, Chu Mingkong was kicked out of bed, crashed through the inn's wall, and flew out.

The waiter was startled awake by the noise. He ran out and saw the large hole in the wall. He cursed, "Are you guys really this reckless? The little bit of silver I gave you isn't even enough to repair the wall!"

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Don't Listen to Outsiders' Nonsense

The next day, after resting and recuperating, Chu Mingkong and Zuo Qiuchi woke up in the inn, but they woke up a little late and both stayed in bed.

Even though Chu Mingkong was injured and sleep was no longer a daily necessity, meditation could solve the problem. It was just that lying down was comfortable. However, after drinking the Hehuan Dew, he felt a kind of depleted fatigue after excessive indulgence. This experience was quite novel for both of them.

According to the consensus in the cultivation world regarding this kind of drug, even if a woman who takes the Hehuan Dew is "accidentally" tricked into taking it, after the drug's effects wear off properly, the experience of the great harmony of Yin and Yang within her body will bring back a feeling of exhilarating satisfaction, as well as a clear and refreshed mind. Therefore, many heretical cultivators used to boast that Hehuan Dew and Hehuan Powder were great aids to enlightenment. In any case, none of them would feel as gloomy and depressed as the two of them, as if they were suffering from a hangover.

As expected, the detoxification method was not orthodox enough; oral administration was an irregular shortcut.

Zuo Qiuchi had no intention of bringing up this shameful affair between master and disciple again, but this rare "headache" made her look at Chu Mingkong with a hint of gritted teeth, as if she were staring at a traitorous disciple who was showing signs of plotting against the sect!

[System reward has been received, -1 point of filial piety.]

Chu Mingkong was sweating. Zuo Qiuchi was not only refusing to mention what happened last night, but also silently holding a grudge against him, and even deducting some of his filial piety points. This was too much to ask of him. It was a shame that the filial piety points he had already received could be taken back. Fortunately, only a little bit was deducted.

“Last night, Master must have not rested well because he was taking care of me. Let me help you down.”

He said he was just helping her up, but Chu Mingkong half-squatted down and leaned against Zuo Qiuchi, hooking his hands around her plump thighs beneath her dress, his palms vaguely pressing against the edge of her peach. He then carried her down to the tavern area. Zuo Qiuchi instinctively wanted to punch him, but considering the crowd and the potential attention it would attract, she let him off the hook for the time being.

They also gave 10 points of filial piety, but unfortunately, it didn't spoil.

Chu Mingkong ordered some tea and snacks, and while waiting, he listened to the morning "news" in the inn and what gossip they were talking about. As soon as he started listening, he found that they were talking about him!

He held his teacup, sipped his tea, and eavesdropped on their conversation.

"You know that prince, right? The one who's been getting a lot of attention from women lately. I heard some rumors about him when I went to the early market before dawn today."

If you want to say my name, just say it. Do you think I'd argue with a few commoners like you?

While Chu Mingkong waited with the others in the inn for the rest of the story, the man suddenly changed the subject:

"I'm not going to say anything more. Go and find out for yourselves!"

There are even people like this who only speak ill of others in a neutral way; they're not dedicated enough! Chu Mingkong took a serious look at the man and realized that it was the traveling merchant who had said he was kicked out of the Shangguan family last time. At that time, the traveling merchant didn't know Chu Mingkong's identity and even came over to offer a toast, wanting to get to know him.

"Stop beating around the bush. Don't waste time. Just say it's Chu Mingkong. What's going on?" He walked over and slammed a few taels of silver onto the table.

The person who was about to gossip was the traveling merchant who had spread rumors about Chu Mingkong's "scandal" last time. When he saw Chu Mingkong, he turned pale with fright.

Before I've even started saying anything bad, how come the person in question is already here? Is he some kind of deity?

"Your Highness...Your Highness...This humble subject did not mean to..." The traveling merchant was so frightened that he could barely speak.

"I'll let you tell me what rumors are circulating about Chu Mingkong lately, and I'll back you up!"

When the people nearby heard that this person was so "bold," they all started to jeer and urge the traveling merchant to continue.

"Now that the older brother is here, why are you still acting like a girl? When you're in the outhouse, you probably only poke your head out briefly before pulling it back in to savor the moment!"

"Get lost! I'm eating. If you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all!"

The traveling merchant was dumbfounded. Wasn't he the same person who had been scammed last time? Unfortunately, under the death stare of the person involved, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue.

"This young prince Chu Mingkong has a sword immortal master, as you all probably know. It was she who escorted this young prince to the capital. I heard something these past two days that the young prince's humble attitude towards the Shangguan family and the wine merchant Zhang family was all an act, a deliberate attempt to damage his reputation and prevent the girls from those families from taking a liking to him."

Wow! Someone's trying to harm him!

Chu Mingkong was furious and slammed his fist on the table: "Who is spreading such rumors... trying to clear Chu Mingkong's name like this?! You're lying through your teeth, keep talking!"

"It's normal that the young prince doesn't think much of the eldest daughter of the Zhang family. Normally, no noble family would even look at Zhang Yiyi. But the second young lady, Shangguan Rong, is no ordinary woman. She's one of the top beauties on the list of beauties in the capital. Recently, some people have noticed something and spread some rumors about the reasons."

"What's the reason? I have no idea." Chu Mingkong asked in confusion.

"The young prince has feelings for his master, so he looks down on such worldly women!"

Some people who were keen to hear the rumors about those peerless masters were puzzled: "That's not right. This Qiu Jianxian is meticulous and disciplined. She is the kind of fairy who is very particular about rules. How could she have such an incestuous relationship with her disciple?"

"Rumors, rumors, I don't know either... Maybe it's just unrequited love on the part of the young prince? But such a romantic entanglement would be quite a story for the young prince. My stomach suddenly hurts, I'm leaving!"

After flattering him, the traveling merchant disappeared in a flash.

The public persona of "Qiu Jianxian" is definitely different from that of the real-life Zuo Qiuchi. However, in the eyes of the world, "Qiu Jianxian" is indeed like this. On the one hand, this is a persona that she asked the Xiling Prince's Mansion to spread, saying that she didn't want others to know her because it was too troublesome. On the other hand, she rarely appears in public, and not many people know her true nature and true face.

The "Autumn Sword Immortal" in the eyes of the world is actually a slightly modified version of Xiao Yunhan. According to the character setting of "Autumn Sword Immortal", once she hears that her disciple has coveted beauty, she should start to clean up the sect, and it is definitely not about sleeping with him.

However, the two of them had just finished consuming the aphrodisiac last night, and Chu Mingkong had only just begun to mend their relationship.

Facing Zuo Qiuchi's icy gaze, Chu Mingkong felt like he was sitting on pins and needles and returned to her side. However, everyone in the inn was talking about the master and disciple, and the two of them, who were at the center of the conversation, were very embarrassed. Chu Mingkong had no choice but to pull Zuo Qiuchi away from the inn.

"You're something else~" Zuo Qiuchi looked at him with a cold smile.

"Rumors stop with the wise. Someone must have spread rumors about me, and it was taken seriously. Let's go, let's go to Aunt Gu's Cui residence for a visit, and while we're at it, let's find out where my sister-in-law got this Acacia Dew. It's too extravagant."

Having visited the Cui residence twice before, Chu Mingkong no longer needed to follow the proper procedures of reporting his arrival. This was thanks to the fact that his wives were "too ashamed to go out and face people because their husbands were having sex with men," so he was able to find them without waiting.

Zhong Feihuang felt a little better after receiving a wave of gifts from Chu Mingkong yesterday. When she saw that Chu Mingkong had brought that Miss Zuo again, she couldn't help but envy their carefree attitude, perhaps even a little bit of envy for Miss Zuo herself.

“Miss Zuo, you must keep a close eye on Mingkong. Keep an eye on him and don’t let him go to those brothels to fool around. Fooling around is one thing, but don’t let him hang out with men! This is advice from someone who’s been there, not just idle nagging.”

"Of course, if that really happened, I'd be the first to break his legs."

"Ahem, let's not talk about that. Sister Huang, the wine you sent yesterday was quite good, where did you get it?" Chu Mingkong asked.

Zuo Qiuchi, who had been glaring at Chu Mingkong, turned to Zhong Feihuang when he asked about it, awaiting his reply. Even the most sacred immortal lands were generous enough to offer a second-tier Hehuan Dew as a side dish.

When Zhong Feihuang heard Chu Mingkong ask about this, she put down her teacup and chuckled, scolding him:

"How dare you ask? Isn't this what you gave me? You're such a fool, blinded by greed. I'm your sister-in-law, and you dare to give us that kind of vulgar thing that you use to fool women?"

"Mingkong gave it to Sister Huang?" Zuo Qiuchi said, turning his eyes to stare at Chu Mingkong with a deathly gaze.

Chu Mingkong panicked, not understanding what Zhong Feihuang was talking about. Why was he returning the gift? Even jokes shouldn't be taken so lightly.

"Good sister! Don't joke around with me, you need to make things clear!"

Seeing the handsome young man's flustered expression, Zhong Feihuang immediately chuckled and said:

"Oh! Still pretending to be confused? You dared to make fun of your sister-in-law yesterday, but you don't dare to admit it today?"

"Chu, Ming, Kong?" Zuo Qiuchi pronounced his name slowly and deliberately.

Seeing the two bickering and glaring at each other, Zhong Feihuang couldn't help but sigh with self-pity. She decided to stop joking and explained, but as a woman, she couldn't say anything like "Hehuan Dew" in front of so many people. With so many people around, she could understand Chu Mingkong's words of comfort, but others would only hear the words "Hehuan Dew."

"That jug of strong liquor yesterday was something I had hidden away years ago. I bought it from some old Taoist priests, but no one drank it. I'm giving it to you as a return gift for those two bottles of youth-preserving pills."

Zuo Qiuchi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the "strong liquor" was a gift from Chu Mingkong, who then gave it back to him.

That means everything last night was Chu Mingkong's fault. He almost ruined her and Feng Ying's health with the Hehuan Dew. So the rumors circulating outside are no longer just rumors.

Fortunately, it turned out to be a misunderstanding. Zhong Feihuang is quite lucky; she was able to buy a second-tier Hehuan Dew.

What a rare thing!

Upon hearing that Chu Mingkong had arrived, Gu Jungui quickly came to see them. Seeing that Miss Zuo was always seen with Chu Mingkong, he felt that he had a good liking for this girl and should try to match her up with Mingkong.

Now Mingkong is sending her a thin gauze dress and a bellyband, which is really inappropriate. Even if there are legitimate reasons such as cultivation and self-defense, who would specifically choose this kind of style to send her!